My students tell me they feel blind when they first go in the Photo lab and start printing which has seriously been put into perspective for me now. Eckert didn't take photography seriously until he was completely blind. He was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa when he was still young. He had planned to study Architecture at Yale but soon realized with his deteriorating sight that would not happen. Currently employed as a carpenter he realized he had two main fears which were how to protect himself and how to make a living. So he earned an MBA and a black belt. Him and his wife had moved to the East Coast to be near his family during that tough time but once he was done with school and couldn't get a job in the area due to prejudice against the blind they relocated to Sacramento California. After working for the government to help the blind he decided he "wanted to do something fun". He first dabbled with making woodcuts which the idea not only makes me nervous but I assume it did his wife too. He came across a camera while cleaning out a drawer and now is an exhibited photographer! Of course he had to learn a lot about photography since he knew nothing at the time and has had to adapt his working process for his disability but I'll let you read his bio to read more about that.
Honestly I didn't mean to reiterate so much of his bio but I just think his story is so fascinating and inspiring. He had such a drive to create art and beauty that he kept experimenting until he could find a way to make a living from his passion!
Artist Wanted did a great video of Pete Eckert! Don't you love it?
Anyways I hope this might be an interesting little pick me up Artist Spotlight.
-Kailtin
Really liked it Kaitlin. Very nice photos.
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